Trump suggests he might drop daily press briefings

However, amid mounting criticism of Comey's firing, the Post reports Spicer and two spokeswomen made a decision to defend the president's actions on CNN, Fox News and Fox Business.

"Are you moving so quickly that your communications department can't keep up with you?" The next day, Ms Sanders said the president asked Mr Rosenstein to put his concerns in writing.

Wallace said it's possible Trump is simply "trolling the press corp, and working them into a frenzy about all this", adding, "but, why would he do that?"

"So what do we do about that?"

Wallace said Trump is playing a "dangerous game with the currency of the credibility of the president of the United States". "We just don't have them. I know one thing for sure: There is no scenario in which I will ever say, 'God, I wish George W. Bush was president!'"

"Every step he's taken this week has cut into the credibility of the White House, the trust of the people inside the White House and clearly, I think the trust that the American people pay to this president and to his White House staff", Wallace argued. "First of all, you have a level of hostility that's incredible, and its very unfair".

NEW YORK (AP)  President Donald Trump threatened to shut down daily press briefings Friday as he sought to defend his White House from criticism of its shifting explanations and misstatements about the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

The Post reports Spicer acknowledged the stunning news by standing in the press office doorway and "shouting a statement" to nearby reporters. "Will he be tomorrow?" He said Spicer is a nice man "but he gets beat up".

"Will he be there tomorrow?"

"The President reiterated his confidence in his press team earlier today", he told CNNMoney.

White House briefings and news conferences provide both "substantive and symbolic opportunities" for journalists to question government officials, said Jeff Mason, White House correspondent for Reuters and president of the White House Correspondents Association.

He questioned whether his administration should cancel all future press briefings and, instead, replace them with written responses to questions, "for the sake of accuracy".